Improvement in berth-locks for sleeping-cars



2Sheets --Sheet2. T. A. BISSELL.

Berth-Locks for Sleeping Cars. No, 145,835, Patented Dec.23,1873.

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' the car, all in the usual manner.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS A. BISSELL, OF- DETROIT, MICHIGAN.

IMPROVEMENT IN BERTH-LOCKS FOR SLEEPING-CARS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 145,835, dated Dflltllllfll :23, 1873; application filed October 4, 1873.

To all whom it. may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS A. BIssnLL, of Detroit, in the county of Wayne, and in the State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Berth-Locks for Sleeping-Cars; and do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings making part of this specification, in which Figure 1 is a front elevation of an upper berth of a sleeping-car as closed. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the inner side of said berth, showing the arrangement of the lock-releasing devices; and Fig. 3 is a full-size top view of said lock-releasing devices, and of the look at one end of the berth. p

Letters of like name and kind refer to like parts in each of the figures.

The design of my invention is to enable a hinged berth to be more securely locked in position when closed, and also to prevent injury to the sides of the permanent partition by the opening and closing of said berth; to which end it consists, principally, in a springlatch attached to the partition and engaging with the end of a hinged berth, substantially as and for the purpose hereinafter specified. 1t consists, further, in the means employed for releasing the spring from engagement with the end of the berth, substantially as is hereinafter set forth. It consists, finally, in the combined locking and releasing devices, substantially as and for the purpose hereinafter shown and described.

In the annexed drawings, A represents a berth or bunk hinged at its lower outer side to or upon the side of a car, so as to be capable of occupying a horizontal position, or, when not in use, of being turned upward to the position shown in Fig. 1, where it closely fits the space between said car-side, two vertical partitions, B and B, and the top G of Within the side of each partition B, at a point near the upper edge of the berth A, and within the space covered by the end of said berth when turned upward, is secured a metal pocket, D, provided with a rectangular recess or opening, d, withinwhich opening is placed a latch, E, (shown in Fig. 3,) that has one of its ends hinged or pivoted to or upon the rear side of said pocket in such a manner as to permit said latch to be moved outward to the position shown in Fig. 3, or pressed inward until its outer face is flush with the outer face of said pocket. A spring, F, is placed beneath the free end of said latch, and holds the same outward, when unobstructed, while permitting it to be sprung inward, when desired. The pocket D and latch E are so arranged that the latter is in a line longitudinally with the line of motion of the berth as it opens or closes, and has its pivoted end outward, so that when said berth is moved from a horizontal position upward its end will move over said latch and press it into its pocket. When the berth is closed upward to place, a metal socket, G, cor responding in size and shape to the projecting portion of the latch E, coincides with the lat ter and permits it to spring outward again to place, when the angular end of said latch impinges squarely against the contiguous portion of said socket, and prevents said berth from turning outward and downward. To release the berth from engagement with the latch, a lever, H, is pivoted transversely upon the inner side of the former in such a position as to bring its forward end upon a line with the rear portion of the socket G, and upon said end is pivoted one end of a pin, I, the opposite end of which passes through a corresponding opening in the wall of said socket. As thus arranged, it will be seen that, by moving the rear end of the lever H toward the center of the berth, the pin I will be forced outward so as to press the latch E out of the socket G. Suitable stops are provided to limit the motion of said pin and prevent its outer end from passing beyond the line of the end of the berth, or from being withdrawn from the socket-plate, while a spring, K, placed be tween the inner face of the latter and a suit able collar, 2', provided near the pivotal end of said pin, holds the latter in the position shown in Fig. 3, except when purposely pressed outward. The rear end of the lever H, at each end of the berth A, is connected by means of a wire, h, to or with one of the radial arms I of a handle, L, which is pivoted at the longitudinal center and near the outer edge of said berth, so that by turning said handle so as to cause its arms to pass from a line lengthwise of said berth to or toward a transverse line, said levers will be simultaneously operated so as to release the spring-latches.

The construction and arrangement described possesses the following-named advantages: First, by removing the spring-latches from the ends of the berths, nothing is left to mar or otherwise injure the finish of the partitions, as said berth is raised or lowered, while as usually placed, said latches project sufficiently to come into contact with said partitions and seriously injure their appearance second, a better and more secure support for the latches is afforded by the partitions than by the berth ends, while, in case of injury, they are removed 1. In a sleeping-car, a spring-latch attached to the partition to engage with the end of a hinged berth, in combination with releasing mechanism secured upon or within said berth, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

2. The means employed for releasing the spring-latch E from engagement with the end of the berth, consisting of the pivoted lever H, pin I, handle L l, and the wires h, constructed and combined to operate substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

3. The locking and releasing devices, consisting of the spring-latch E, attached to the partition, the pivoted lever H, bolt I, handle L Z, and connecting-wires h and h, secured upon the berth,,all constructed substantially as and for the purpose specified.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand this 23d day of September, 1873. 1

THOMAS A. BISSELL.

Witnesses:

JULIUs SToLL, WILLIAM S'roLL. 

